Lightning McQueen to Lap Monza as Cars Turns 20

• Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ safety car gets a Monza-only Cars livery

• Lightning McQueen completes an honorary lap at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix

• F1 x Disney collaboration now runs through 2028 with Cars added

Formula 1, Disney and Mercedes-AMG will mark the 20th anniversary of Disney and Pixar’s Cars at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix in Monza this weekend, September 4 to 6, with a one-off Cars-inspired livery on the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ safety car and an honorary lap by Lightning McQueen.

The tie-in, announced today, is the first race weekend to feature Cars since Formula 1 and Disney extended their collaboration through 2028 and added the film franchise to the programme.

Lightning McQueen: honorary lap in a Formula 1-inspired livery

Lightning McQueen arrives at Monza with an all-new look inspired by the Formula 1 x Disney collaboration. The seven-time Piston Cup champion will make a special appearance during race weekend and complete an honorary lap of the circuit.

Cars first reached theatres in 2006 and returns to select theatres on September 4 for the anniversary. Twenty years on, Monza gives the franchise one of the oldest circuits on the calendar for its birthday lap, and it gives Formula 1 a family-facing moment on a weekend built around Ferrari’s home crowd.

GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+: 612 hp, 627 lb-ft and the first all-wheel drive in the job

Here’s the part with actual hardware. The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ took over as the Official FIA Formula 1 Safety Car at the Hungarian Grand Prix in July, replacing the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series after 51 deployments since 2022. It is the 14th Mercedes safety car since the programme began in 1996, and the first with fully variable all-wheel drive.

• Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, 612 hp, 627 lb-ft
• Transmission: AMG Speedshift MCT 9G nine-speed
• Drivetrain: fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive
• Top speed: 317 km/h
• Brakes: ceramic composite, six-piston front calipers
• Aero: new front splitter, dive planes, rear wing with active flap
• Fuel: 75-litre tank, 100-octane PETRONAS fuel with 40% sustainable content (10% ethanol, 30% eFuel)
• Tires: Pirelli P Zero R

That all-wheel drive is the practical upgrade. A safety car earns its keep in the rain, and Mercedes-AMG says the 4MATIC+ system is there for traction in both dry and wet conditions. “It is the first safety car with all-wheel drive. This provides optimum traction,” said Bernd Mayländer, who stays behind the wheel for the new car.

The FIA-specific kit covers the rest: orange and green signal lights built into the rear wing and front end (orange means no overtaking, green means the field may pass), radio, GPS and camera systems, a roll cage, six-point harnesses and RECARO bucket seats.

At Hungaroring, both cars ran a black-and-red 30th-anniversary livery. For Monza, the Cars design replaces it for the weekend only.

Cars merchandise trackside and at the Official F1 Store

Fans at Monza can shop the Disney and Pixar’s Cars with Formula 1 collection at the circuit throughout race weekend: apparel, accessories, collectibles and Mattel die-cast vehicles.

For those following from Canada, select pieces from the collection are listed online at the Official F1 Store and DisneyStore.com. Lightning McQueen Day falls on September 5, the Saturday of race weekend, a date picked to match his number 95.

Formula 1 x Disney: extended through 2028

Monza is the latest step in a collaboration that now runs through 2028, with Cars as its newest addition. Formula 1 and Disney say the two brands will keep finding new ways for fans to connect with Disney characters through the sport; the Monza weekend is the only Cars event announced so far.